JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Representative Joshua Peters of St. Louis wants to open the door to future success for thousands more Missouri high school graduates. He is sponsoring a bill to offer scholarships for free tuition to anyone seeking an associate’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in Missouri. “Without some sort of college degree, the path to meaningful employment is often closed tight for tens of thousands of Missouri students. Having no financial prospects for being able to afford college, many become disillusioned and drop out of high school. Knowing that two years of college tuition for an associate’s degree is waiting for them will also be a great inducement for students to graduate from high school,” explained Representative Peters.

The bill provides for the program to be administered by the Coordinating Board for High Education. To be eligible a student must have a high school diploma, certificate of high school graduation, high school equivalency certificate, or completion of high school as a home school student. The student must also be enrolled as a full-time student in a post-secondary institution of higher learning. Students must then complete an application for the Missouri Promise Scholarship during their first year of college enrollment.

“To continue to receive the scholarship, students will need to keep their grades up and participate in mentoring and community service programs as determined by the Coordinating Board for High Education,” explained Representative Peters.

“By helping others and helping the community they are also helping to justify the expenditure being made on their behalf by the State of Missouri towards their futures. The state and taxpayers also benefit because it has been shown that those with college degrees earn more over their lifetimes than those without degrees. They therefore pay more in taxes over their lifetimes. By having an educated workforce, Missouri will also be positioning itself to meet the needs of employers and help companies to make the choice in favor of locating in a state that offers such a program,” Representative Peters emphasized.